Eden's Garden
by LiveEatBreatheWrite
Summary: Eden Guerrier was a prisoner of the Governor. She didn't have any hope of a saviour left, until her precise planning gets her thrown into a room with Carl Grimes. Rated T for minor language and violence...
1. Chapter 1

**Carl**

I sat in a dark, musty room. I was tied to a chair and gagged. The door opened with a groan, and the Governor stalked over to me. He gripped a girl in one hand and a knife in the other. He threw the girl on the ground, and she thudded painfully. He cut my ropes free; because he knew I was smart enough to not fight back. As soon as the last ropes were cut he grabbed me by the collar of my shirt.

"This girl has been bitten. Either you kill her, or you die. If you kill her, you get to live. But if not… well, you know what happens. Understand, Grimes?" he mumbled.

He threw me to the ground and headed to the door. He found the generosity in his heart to turn the light on before he shut the door loudly. I got up slowly, because I knew I was hurt. I landed on my wrist, so I examined it. My entire hand was already starting to swell, and it was bent in ways it shouldn't. I tried to move it, but the only result was lots and lots of pain. Before I could stop them, hot tears fell silently down my face. I wiped them away with my good hand. I blinked a couple times, and I was fine. I looked at the girl. I felt her forehead with my hand. No temperature.

"I knew about his plan. I knew that he was going to take the next one infected and throw them into a room with you. So, I faked getting bit to see if you could help me out or kill me. I just don't want to be tortured here anymore." she whispered.

I thought. She sounded like she was telling the truth, and she had a normal temperature. I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.

"Ok. If you try anything though, I will kill you. Lemme find something to cut the ropes with," I mumbled.

I needed to find something to stabilize my wrist first, though. I ripped the sleeves of my shirt off and wrapped them carefully around my injury. Now to find something to cut the ropes with. I tried to think of anything I could use. Then, I remembered that I fought with the guy who brought me here. I broke a glass bottle of rubbing alcohol, and they hadn't bothered to pick anything up. I looked behind my chair and found a piece big enough to cut the ropes with. I picked it up and headed over the girl.

"Spread your legs," I said

She complied quickly and I sawed at the ropes until the broke. I grabbed her arm with my good hand and hoisted her up with much difficulty. I grabbed her hand and sawed at the ropes in her hand until the ropes broke. I dropped the glass and examined her. I tried to ignore the fact that I was practically taking this girl's shirt off. Daryl would be proud. She was right; she wasn't bitten, but she had some other injuries. The left side of her face was swollen and bruised. She was limping, and under further inspection, I realized that her left foot was the size of a tennis ball. I lead her to the chair and she sat while I paced. I tried to figure out a way to escape. There were no windows, so that was an automatic no. The door was locked and guarded by several men. If I had a weapon, maybe, but we are both handicapped, and fighting off several men at a time isn't a good idea, even if you are able bodied. I looked around the room.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"Trying to figure out how to get out…" I mumbled.

This was proving to much more difficult than I thought it would be.

"Well, why don't you try the door, dumbass?" she asked, laughing.

"Do you want to fight off men who are twice our size? I didn't think so," I countered.

"Well, when he quite literally dropped me off here, there weren't any," she remarked.

"Well, why didn't you tell me that?" I shouted.

"Well, you never asked."

I rolled by eyes and tried the door. It was locked, as expected. There wasn't a lock on the inside, so I would need some force. I remembered a night at my grandmothers, suddenly, when I asked my father if he ever had to break down any doors. He said no, but he knew how. He taught me. I sent hours kicking open the door to my grandparents' old shed. I remembered as much as I could and was about to execute it, until the girl stopped me.

"If you're gonna break down the door, we might need some sort of weapon," she said.

"Right. I think there are a few shards of glass left behind the chair," I replied.

I grabbed two longer shards and handed one to her.

"It's the best we got. Now, get ready…" I said.

I placed my right foot in the center of the door. I leaned into it as much as I could, then pushed off. The door creaked, but didn't budge. I tried again, and again. Finally, after several tries, the door finally gave.

"Got it. Get behind me," I whispered fiercely.

She followed by order and we snuck carefully out of our prison. We finally reached a door, and opened it carefully.

"Hey, kid's getting' away!" I heard the man called Martinez shout.

I looked behind and saw men racing toward us. I put my arm around the girl and ran. Gunfire erupted in my ears. I pushed myself harder; ran faster. We were nearly in the confines of the forest when I heard the girl let out a blood curdling scream. I looked down at her. He leg had given out and was bleeding profusely.

"What the hell happened?" I asked loudly.

"Leg… shot… hurts…" she said brokenly.

She was unconscious before too much longer. I shifted her onto my shoulder and ran deeper and deeper into the wood. I found an opening deep into the forest and settled her down. I inspected her wound. He leg was shattered. I took her boot off, and tried to roll her pant leg up. She whimpered, and I took that as a sign that it probably didn't feel too good. I rolled the pant leg back down. I would have to wait for her to wake up. Until then, I needed to make a tourniquet. Herschel had taught me a little about that, so I figured that another good strip of shirt would do. I ripped a piece of my shirt off yet again, and tied it tightly around he leg. I slumped against a nearby tree, glass shard in hand. I tried to fight the sleep off, but before long, it consumed me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Carl**

I dreamt of her. She was here, in the clearing. She was standing, and wearing a long, stark white dress.

"Mom?" I asked, bewildered.

I reached out to touch her, but she disappeared. She reappeared in the same spot.

"I can't let you do that," she said sternly.

"Why not?" I asked sadly.

"They have only permitted me to talk to you. I don't have much time, so you need to listen to me, Carl. The girl you're with; she is a vital asset to the group. You _have _to keep her. Once she heals, she will be of great use to you and the group. Please trust me, Carl!" she explained quickly

I nodded wordlessly.

"I must go now. I wish I could talk to you longer, but they need me. I promise I will talk to you soon, baby. I love you."

And she was gone. I woke up, breathing heavily. I looked down at the girl. She was still unconscious, but she stirred slightly. Her expression was pained. I went to go feel her pulse. It was there, but it wasn't very strong.

I needed to find something. She wasn't going to survive long if I didn't, and the last thing I needed was a dead girl on my hand. And, if she gets bitten while I'm gone, I can just shoot her. One less person to worry about. I grabbed my glass shard and headed out of the forest, hoping to find something for her wounds. And a weapon would be nice, too.

It took an hour at most, but I found a small town with a drugstore. I peeked through the window, and saw that it hadn't been hit too badly. I decided to look inside. The door opened easily, and I snuck in. A few walkers emerged from the back, and I took them out with ease. I looked down the aisles, and looked for an ankle brace of some sort. I found one and picked it up. It could hold her over until we got back to camp. I found a wrist brace, and slipped it on. Next, was ibuprofen. I cleared the store of any bottles I saw. I found a first aid fanny pack, and I strapped in around my waist and stuffed the ibuprofen in it. I probably looked like a giant doofus, but it was all that was there. I found some gauze, bandages, and antiseptic. I also found some energy bars and bottled water. I determined that there was nothing else useful, and started to head back. I reached the clearing at midmorning. The girl was still unconscious. I knew what I had to do to look at her gunshot wound, but I wouldn't do it without her consent. As if she read my mind, she stirred and her eyes fluttered open.

"It hurts…" she moaned.

"I know, I know. I need to inspect the wound, but I'll need to take off your pants first. Um… I didn't want to do that without your permission…" I said nervously.

"Anything to make it stop. Please," she pleaded softly.

"Alright," I said uncomfortably.

I untied the makeshift tourniquet and unbuttoned her pants. I tried my best not to focus of the fact that she only had her underwear on. Again, Daryl would be proud. I turned by attention to the wound. She got off lucky; the bullet got the outside of her left leg. I had to clean it fast though, or it would get infected.

"Alright, I'm not gonna lie; this is gonna burn like a bitch. I'll make it as painless as possible," I said softly.

I got out the bottle of antiseptic and the gauze. I opened the antiseptic and poured some on the gauze. I started the dab the wound.

The moment the gauze made contact with her wound, she started to whimper. She yelped a few times, but other than that, she kept a level head. Once I'd cleaned up the wound, I got a clearer view of where the bullet contacted. She would be able to walk again; fortunately, the bullet didn't get to her bone. I grabbed the bandages and covered the shot wound.

"I'm done," I sighed.

She started to breathe easily again. I pulled her pants back up carefully.

"Hey, what's your name?" I asked her quietly.

"Eden," she breathed.

"Carl," I replied.

"Carl… Thank you…" she whispered.

She slipped into unconsciousness again. I needed some food. I dug for one of the energy bars I'd grabbed and found one. I wolfed it down quickly. I ventured out again to the small town outside of the woods, hoping to find more supplies. I wondered if I should go back and protect her, but my instincts told me that she would be safe and under watch. This journey into town was slightly shorter than the first, because I knew the terrain. I walked the streets, beating the occasional walker's skull in. I eventually found a small sports store. I walked in carefully. It had obviously been ransacked, but there was no crime in looking. I walked the aisles slowly. I found a small dagger, and a knife holster. I strapped it around my waist and kept looking. When I'd nearly given up, I found a small bow under some debris. It was made of a light colored wood. I picked it up; it was nearly weightless. I cleared the rest of the debris and found a quiver of arrows, and a brown leather arm guard. I roamed the remainder of the aisles, and managed to find a dirty duffel bag. I put all of my findings in it and started back to my temporary camp.

It was nearly nightfall by the time I'd returned. Eden was unconscious, as expected. I dropped the duffel bag, and slumped against my tree. I was out.

I woke up early in the morning after a dreamless sleep. I got up and stretched. Eden was up, surprisingly.

"Hey," she yawned.

"Hey. How's your leg feeling? Better?" I questioned.

"Yeah," she sighed.

"Do you think I could carry you and we can move on?" I asked hopefully.

She contemplated for several seconds.

"I suppose," she said thoughtfully.

"Ok. I'll get everything in the duffel bag and we'll leave," I replied cheerfully.

I grabbed all of the medical supplies and stuffed them into the duffel bag quickly. I came upon the brace that I'd gotten her.

"Hey, I got you something…" I said sheepishly.

I held up the brace.

"Thank you! Um, if you could…" she said happily.

I outfitted her with the brace. I then hoisted my duffel bag onto my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her waist and supported her.

We got off to a slow start, but after a while, we got used to the routine and quickened the pace. Towards nightfall, I recognized our position.

"Let's stop for the night; we should get to our camp by tomorrow, I think," I sighed.

I slowly let Eden down onto the ground. She got herself comfortable, and I set the duffel bag down.

"I wanted to thank you… not many people will do what you've done for me in this world. Just… thanks," she mumbled.

I turned around and smiled at her. "It's alright."

I found a tree close to Eden and fell asleep quickly.

I woke up, and Eden was still asleep. I stretched and rubbed my eyes. I got up carefully, as I did not want to wake her. I wasn't careful enough, though, because she stirred and awoke.

"Morning," she said tiredly.

I yawned in reply.

"Ready to get going?" she asked me.

I nodded. I again put the duffel bag onto my shoulder and helped Eden up. She put her arm around my neck, and I supported her with a hand on her waist. We walked into the woods, hopefully for the last time.

We had been walking for about an hour when the prison came into view.

"Is that…?" she asked, amazed.

"Yep," I sighed.

I had never been so happy so see a place in my life. I wanted to run, to sprint to the gate and shout for Dad to come. To tell everyone that I was safe. I had to help Eden though. We seemed to move slower as we slowly approached the large building.

After what seemed like ages, we reached the gate. I didn't want to attract any walkers, so I led Eden to the gate and told her to hand onto it. I backed up and looked to the watchtower. I couldn't see if anyone was there, so I just took my chances. I waved. Glenn emerged. He ran into the building and returned with my dad. They were hurrying over to the gate. I ran to Eden and supported her again. Glenn opened the first gate, and my father opened the second. We hurried in as fast as we could onto the prison yard. We got in, and my knees nearly gave out. Glenn steadied me.

"Uh… who's this?" he asked.

"Eden. She was in the Governor's torture chamber with me. When we escaped, she got shot. Herschel needs to look at it," I insisted.

"Carl… I'm not sure if…" he started.

"Get Herschel," I ordered.

He hesitantly complied. After a few minutes, he emerged from the building with Herschel, talking to him quickly with a look of concern on his face. They reached us, and Herschel took a look at her injury.

"Have you been bitten?" he asked urgently.

"No, sir. I've been shot," she replied.

I praised her in my mind. Good choice of words. Herschel told Glenn to carry Eden into the building, and Herschel hobbled close behind. Dad and I hung back a little.

"Hey, kiddo. Are you sure that this is the best idea? Do you know anything about her other than her name?" he asked.

"I know that she will be a great addition to the group once she's healed," I explained.

Dad was silent for several moments.

"Hey, Dad?" I asked, breaking the silence, "Can I ask you something without you thinking I'm insane?"

"Sure, kiddo," he sighed.

"I had a dream. In the forest. Mom… she was there. She told me in my dream that she would be helpful to the group. That we needed to keep her. I… I want to listen to her," I said shakily.

"It's ok. I don't think you're insane. I see your mom too, sometimes. I was planning on listening to you on that anyway. I trust you, and I think I know a warrior when I see one."

We entered the prison and checked in on Herschel and Eden.

"I made a tourniquet the first day, and I found some antiseptic and band aids. I put those on the second or third day," I informed Herschel.

"You didn't do that bad a job. It is starting to get infected, and you probably shoulda left the tourniquet on a little longer than a day. She's lost quite a bit of blood…. Do you know your blood type?" he rambled.

"AB positive," she replied softly.

"Good girl! Not many people your age know their blood type," he praised.

"Glenn, go get the crutches," Herschel ordered.

"Her ankle on the same leg was injured before she was shot, too," I added.

"I see that. Good idea getting a brace, because we don't have any here. We'll just clean and bandage. Not much else I can do. She has no family members here, so giving blood would be too risky. As for the ankle, it's definitely broken, so that brace and some crutches will have to do. She will need some extra sustenance to regain the blood lost…" he analyzed.

"No. I won't take any more than I need to," she said.

"Oh, yes you will," Herschel ordered.

"I'll give you half my portions," I reasoned.

"I can't do that. I'll heal," she said, getting increasingly louder.

"Stop it. It won't do you any good to argue right now," Herschel said.

"Fine," she said grudgingly.

Herschel bandaged her up and Dad got her crutches. She was on her feet in no time. We returned to the rest to have some dinner.

"What happened?" Carol asked .

"Carl's back. And he's got a friend," Glenn explained.

Eden hobbled into view. Everyone looked at her, then Dad with a look of confusion.

"Eden," she mumbled as she waved a greeting.

"She's been shot. She'll definitely stay until she's healed. She may stay after that, but we're taking baby steps," Dad explained.

"Alright. If I'm staying here, I'd like to know everyone's names," Eden stated.

"Fair enough. I'm Rick," Dad said.

"Daryl, Carol, Maggie, Beth, Michonne, Merle, Glenn, and Judith," Dad said as he pointed.

Eden waved kindly to each member of the group. She looked at Judith longer than everyone else with a sad look in her eyes. After the uncomfortable introductions, we all had energy bars for dinner. Very nutritious. I received my portion and sat heavily by Eden. I handed half of my bar to her.

"I can't take that from you," she refused.

"Take it. You need it more than I do."

She shoved it away from her.

"If you don't take it, I'll make you eat it!" I threatened jokingly.

"And just exactly how will you do that?" she asked.

"I'll figure it out, and then you'll be sorry!" I said sarcastically.

"Dream on," she groaned.

I didn't eat the half of the energy bar that I tried to give to her. I said that I'd give half of my portions, and I will. Everyone else was sharing a cell, except me, so I bunked with Eden. I helped her into the bottom bunk, and then I climbed onto the top.

"Thank you for helping me," she whispered.

"It's no problem," I replied, kindly as I could.

"Anyone else would have left me for dead. You're very kind," she complimented.

"If you knew what I've done, you would know that I'm not kind," I mumbled.

"Hmm?" she called.

"Nothin'" I replied quickly.

"Something!" she retorted.

"Just, forget about it, ok!" I said meanly.

"Alright. I'm sorry for prying," she apologized.

I didn't reply. I just lay quietly until I could hear the deep, slow breathing that meant Eden was asleep. I thought of my dream that I had the first day in the forest. I didn't know what it meant, but my instincts tell me that I should follow my deceased mother's advice.

_Once she heals, she will be of great use to you and the group._

Those words stuck in my mind. I understand her being important to have in the group, but why would she be important to me? Questions swam in my mind until I fell into a deep, satisfying sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Carl**

"Morning, sleepyhead. Gonna help out at all today, or are you planning on sleeping all day?" I heard Eden say.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I stretched and yawned.

"Glad you got up; I was starting to think you were dead!" she teased.

"Aw, shut it," I said jokingly.

"Make me!" she teased back.

I climbed down the ladder and shuffled out of the room, Eden hot on my heels.

"How's your leg?" I asked tiredly.

"Shot. Broken. Thought we've been over this already," she mumbled.

"Ha, ha. Seriously, how is it feeling?" I asked.

"As good as a gunshot wound can feel, I suppose…" she replied.

"That's good, I guess. Go have Herschel check on it later, alright?" I replied.

"Ok. Anything you know I can help with?" she asked hopefully.

"I think that all of us would feel better if you just rested," I said.

"That makes me feel so useless! Can't you see that I want to help?" she snapped.

"Sorry… I don't know how you can help; ask Carol," I grumbled.

Eden hobbled off angrily. Girls are so confusing! I told her to rest as politely as I could, and what do I get in return? I get yelled at. This is going to be really frustrating. I made sure I had my gun and I stalked outside. Dad was on watch, and I guess he saw me come out. I must radiate _leave me alone, _but dad decided to come talk to me anyway.

"Hey kiddo. What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," I replied harshly.

"Alright, then. Don't tell me," he surrendered.

"I'm serious! Nothing is wrong. Can I watch with you?" I asked

"Sure, but you'll have to quit being so grumpy. Got it?" he ordered.

"Ok," I answered quietly.

The only reason I wanted to be on watch was because I needed something else to focus on. Hostility had never bothered me before; I didn't know why it bothered me so much coming from Eden. I paced up and down the fence, thinking.

"Sure you're alright?" Dad asked skeptically.

"Fine. I'm not alright. I told Eden to rest, and she yelled at me!" I shouted.

"Knew it was something. Just don't let it get to you. I know the type of person Eden is; she doesn't accept help easily, and she won't sit on her ass while everyone around her is doing something productive. She's a lot like you," he explained.

"I don't yell at people when people help me!" I whined.

"Yes, you do," Dad laughed.

I looked back on all of the times people have tried to help me. He was right; I do tend to shout when people offer me help.

"I guess you're right, but that's not the point!" I said, exasperated.

"Then what is the point?" Dad asked, grinning.

"Umm…"

I guess that was the point.

"Exactly," Dad concluded.

"I'm gonna go check on her I guess," I sighed.

"Why do you care about her so much?" Dad asked.

"I'm just carrying out Mom's advice," I replied solemnly.

"Alright. Have fun," Dad called after me.

I didn't respond. I walked inside the prison, and looked for Eden. I walked upstairs, and instead of finding Eden, I found Carol.

"Hey, where's Eden?" I asked her.

"Umm… Haven't seen her," she muttered.

"Alright… Thanks," I sighed.

Where was she? She couldn't have gone far. I checked our cell, and she wasn't there. I ran out of the prison again, and went to look for Daryl. If she'd decided to walk into the woods, Daryl could find her. I found Daryl, and I nearly screamed. She was with him, and she had a gun in her hand.

"Eden!" I shouted.

She turned around. She rolled her eyes and continued to shoot. Fine. If she wanted to play that way, so be it.

"Daryl, can I talk to you?" I asked.

He nodded slowly. He walked over here, awkwardness radiating from his pores.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Why are you letting her shoot a gun when she has a gunshot wound?" I asked him, irritated.

"She said that she felt fine, and that she needed the practice. She said that you were fine with it," he explained.

"Well, I think that you can see that I'm not fine with it," I sarcastically remarked.

"Hey, kid. Watch the attitude," he scolded.

"Sorry. I'm just irritated."

"Yeah, I understand. What do you want me to do about it?" he asked.

"She won't listen to me, so I need you to try and persuade her to get some rest," I elaborated.

"I'll try, but I doubt that she'll listen to me," he said unsurely.

"Just try, please," I pleaded.

He returned to Eden and caught her attention. He said something, and she sighed, gave him the gun, and crutched back into the prison. He looked in my direction and shrugged. I sighed and returned to the prison. I went to check on Judith and Carol.

"How's she doing?" I asked.

"Sleeping," she whispered.

I sat next to Carol and looked at Judith. She looked so peaceful.

"Hey, Carol?" I asked.

"Hmm?" she replied.

"I need your help with something," I said nervously.

"Alright, what do you need?" she asked.

"I told Eden to rest earlier today, and she got mad at me. I tried talking to her a little bit ago and she ignored me. Then, I had Daryl tell her to rest, and she listened to him!" I said, frustrated.

"Calm down, sweetie. She doesn't think of you as an authority figure. She thinks of you as a friend. Next time you approach her, tell her that you aren't there to boss her around. The reason why she listened to Daryl is because he's an adult. So, it's a good thing," she reasoned.

"That makes sense," I resolved.

I left them and retreated to my cell. I thought about Carol's advice. It just might work.


	4. Chapter 4

I waited until dinner. Eden got her share of food and sat. Once I'd gotten some, I sat next to her.

"Hey," I said weakly.

She didn't reply.

"Look, I'm sorry for pushing it or whatever. From now on, I'll let you do your own thing," I apologized.

"That's all I wanted you to say," she resolved.

"Good. Friends?"

"Friends."

We shook. I grinned. I didn't attempt to give Eden half my portions; she would get mad again. I just kept it to myself. We ate and Eden and I got up to go to our cell.

"Hold it, little lady," Herschel said, "I gotta check on your wound."

She nodded and went over to where Herschel sat. I turned her head and beckoned for me to follow her. I walked alongside Herschel and Eden until we reached the room. I picked Eden up once again and laid her on the table. Herschel rolled up her pants and took off the bandage. It looked terrible, but much better than before. Herschel cleaned it and put a new bandage on it. Then, he took off the brace and looked at her broken ankle. It didn't look good. The ankle had colorful blotches all over it and it was very swollen. Herschel put the brace back on and excused her. I was about to exit behind her when Herschel stopped me.

"Carl, you wait here."

"What's wrong Herschel?" I asked nervously.

"Let me see your wrist," he asked.

I had almost forgotten. I'd been so wrapped up in Eden today; I had forgotten to ask Herschel about it. He must have noticed me favoring it. I unwrap it tenderly and showed it to Herschel.

"Good Lord, son! Why haven't you told me about this?" he asked loudly.

"I… I guess I forgot."

"You forgot, huh?" Herschel sighed.

I didn't reply.

"Anyway, it's a bad break. Glad you've got the brace, but you can't be pickin' up girls like that! It'll only make it worse. I'll have someone else come in and help during her examinations. In the meanwhile, please be careful," he scolded.

He then dismissed me. I walked out and met Eden in our cell.

"What was that about?" she asked.

"I didn't tell him about my wrist and he suspected something. It's just broken," I said, rubbing my injury.

"Just broken?" she asked.

"Better than getting bit," I said simply.

"I suppose. When did you break your wrist?" she asked, confused.

"Don't you remember? The Governor was outlining the rules. We picked me up and then threw me. I landed on my wrist," I explained.

A look of confusion clouded her face, but suddenly, realization takes its place.

"I remember now!" she realized.

"Yeah," I awkwardly said.

"So, what do you wanna talk about?" she asked.

"I dunno," I mumbled.

She patted the space by her on the bed. I sat down, sweating like mad. Why was I so freakin' nervous?

"Let's see. Um… How about we just ask questions?" she suggested.

"Umm… I don't know…"

"You don't have to answer any question that you don't want to," she reasoned.

I nodded.

"Ok. Me first. Um… how old are you?" she asked.

"Thirteen."

"Me too. Your turn."

"Uh…"

I didn't know what to say. My mind told me to just stick with the basics, and I would be fine.

"What's your favorite color?" I asked stupidly.

"Blue. And yours?"

"Red. What's your favorite thing to do?"

"I like to read and write and things like that. What about you?"

"I like sports. I remember that I would play tag every day at recess before this all went down," I reminisced.

"I liked tag too," she added.

"My turn. Um… did you have any siblings?" I asked.

That was a bad move. Probably shouldn't have asked about family. She's alone now, so something must've happened to the rest of her family.

"I had two sisters; Evelyn and Emery. My parents liked names that start with E," she explained.

She thought. I could tell that she was trying to avoid any personal questions.

"Got a last name?" she asked.

"Grimes. And you?"

"Guerrier," she said.

"Huh?"

"Guerrier. It's French. It means warrior," she explained.

"Cool."

"My turn. What about your family?" she asked softly.

I froze. This was a question I definitely did not want to answer. She answered my question about siblings, though. It would be kinda unfair not to answer hers.

"I… I was an only child. My mom got pregnant, and had Judith. She… she didn't make it," I explained.

"I'm so sorry. That's terrible," she lamented.

"Stop. I don't need any of your sympathy," I said harshly.

She opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it. After several minutes of sitting next to her in silence, I climbed up to my bed. I heard her move, and finally, I heard her breathing slow down. I felt bad for snapping at her like that. Why did I have to be some damn moody sometimes? I somehow manage to keep screwing up with her. And I hated it. I should be more like Dad; think before you speak, wait for the right moment. Ugh. I turned over to face the wall and fell into a fitful sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**So... I don't really have anything to say other than review, review, review! ~A.C~**

I woke up and stretched. I slept horribly, and I just could shake the awkwardness of last night's conversation. I climbed down the ladder, and Eden wasn't in her bed. She must've already woken up. I shuffled out of the cell and down the hallway. Everyone was up, and they all looked at the ground.

"What's going on?" I asked, curious.

Dad snapped his neck up suddenly.

"Morning," Dad greeted nervously.

"What's happened?" I asked again.

He looked at me for a minute. He looked almost… guilty.

"Eden's gone," he mumbled.

"What?" I asked, outraged.

"She left. Her crutches were left here. I don't know where she is," he explained.

I sat down and buried my face in my hands. I shook my head. She can't be _gone. _She probably went shooting or something.

"Why is everyone just standing here, then?" I asked angrily.

"We waited for you," Daryl spoke up.

"Then let's go!" I urged.

Dad, Daryl and I headed into the woods outside the prison. Daryl could track, and Dad came because he's the leader, obviously. I came because I could reason with her. I knew her best.

"Is there any reason why she'd leave?" Daryl asked.

"I told her about Mom's death. She doesn't know…" I trailed off.

He knew what I was talking about.

"I guess I was a little rude to her. That's not really something she would leave for," I reasoned.

"Well, she's a girl," Daryl sighed.

"I know, right?" I whined.

Daryl chuckled. We were nearly in the middle of the woods when Daryl stopped us.

"There's been a struggle here," Daryl said as he pointed.

He was right; there obviously had been a struggle. It could mean anything; an animal struggling with a walker, or worse, a person struggling with one. I pushed the thought out of my mind. I wrung my hands as we walked. I don't know why I'm so nervous, and apparently, Dad notices it too.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Fine," I said too quickly.

He looked at me warily and then looked ahead again. We trudged on.

"Well, looks like you got home safe."

I turned around to find the Governor behind us. Dad and Daryl stepped in front of me.

"Smart; not traveling in the woods alone," he remarked.

I just glared at him.

"Well, if you're gonna give me the cold shoulder, I'll just cut right to the chase. I've taken back what's rightfully mine; Eden. She was foolish to wander out alone into the woods in the middle of the night. From my understanding, she wasn't too happy with you, so she went to get a breath of fresh air. Too bad I happened to be there. Anyway, here's the deal. Give us the prison, and we'll give you Eden."

An evil grin spread across his malevolent face. He knew that he'd gotten me. I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. I worked so hard to get her here, and now she was gone. I clenched my fists at my sides, and grinded my teeth. Dad looked at me sympathetically and turned to face the Governor again.

"No deal."

"Figured as much," he sneered.

The Governor looked down at me and smiled sickeningly. I wanted to push through the men in front of me and let all of my frustration and anger on his face. I was thinking about it when Dad grabbed me by the wrist and lead me back to the prison. We walked quickly back, and we'd reached there, Dad still didn't let go.

"Dad! Please!" I yelled.

"Son, I'm not letting go until you understand that we can't give up this prison. Eden's a brave girl; she'll get out.

"I got her out last time! How can she get out if I did that last time! Why won't you let me do this!" I shouted.

"You know very well why. "

"Fine. Her blood is on your hands."

I yanked my hands out of his grip and stormed off to my room. I slammed to cell door and crashed onto my bed. Tears threatened to fall down my face, but I fought them off. I didn't emerge from my cell for dinner. People stopped in front of my cell periodically, but they left when I didn't respond. I spent hours in my cell face down on my bed. I heard Daryl stomp up the stairs, and then I fully realized how late it was. I lifted my head. I wanted to look down and check on Eden, but she wasn't there. I had to go get her, whatever the cost. I just had to find a way. I climbed down the ladder of my bunk and grabbed my gun. I grabbed a knife as well, just in case. I tried my cell door, but it was locked. I vaguely remembered the lock clicking. Dad must have predicted my actions. I resolved to wait until the morning. I couldn't think of any other way.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello readers! Sorry it's been awhile... been some busy nights lately. I promise the chapters will be coming more frequently in the future. Please review! ~A.C~**

"Morning Carl," Beth calls after me nervously.

I nod in her direction. After the events of last night, I'm not surprised she's nervous. I have to make everyone think I'm ok if I have any chance of this plan working. I just needed to be left alone. Just for a few minutes. I can try to get through an alternate entrance. And when I got back, I would personally find out who let Eden out and give them hell. Especially if she didn't come back. I shook my head to clear it of the terrible thought. I joined everyone, except for Beth, in the former visiting area. Dad was sitting at a table, alone, with his head in his hands. I entered and accepted a granola bar from Herschel. I sat across from Dad.

"I thought I told everyone…"

He paused when he saw that his visitor was me. He grinned.

"Hey kiddo," he greeted.

"Dad. Listen… I'm sorry about yesterday. I was just upset," I apologized.

It was hard lying through my teeth, especially to my dad. I managed to do a pretty convincing job, though, because he followed my apology with a grin.

"Glad to hear it kiddo. Listen… I gotta go on a run soon. Can I trust you to stay here?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yeah. I'll stay here."

He nodded and left to gather materials, mostly weapons, for the run. This plan was going perfectly. The two people who threatened my leaving were going to be gone. I was practically the only person who could take watch. Daryl, Dad, Glenn, and Maggie left, and I was left with Carol, Judith, and Beth.

"I'm going on watch," I stated.

Beth nodded half her attention on me and half on the baby in her arms.

"Please be careful!" Carol called after me.

I looked back to her and nodded. Poor Carol. She'd lost so much. I resolved to leave a message for them. There was a dirty, torn notebook and a half a pencil on a table, and I snatched them up quickly. I rushed out the door and arrived at the gates. I sat leaning against the gates. I used my knees as a writing surface, and flipped the notebook open to a fresh(ish) page. The half a pencil was the half without the eraser, and it was kind of sharpened. I gripped the pencil and started to write.

_Dear Everyone,_

_I couldn't live with myself if Eden was left with the Governor. Knowing that, in part, it was my fault. I've gone to go get her. Hopefully, I will be back soon. If I'm not back in a few days, I'm probably dead, so don't look for me. Take care of Judith while I'm gone. Make sure Dad ends up ok. Make sure he knows that I'm sorry for lying to him._

_I love you all,_

_Carl_

I ripped the page from the notebook and stuck it on a piece of wire that stuck out. Now to figure out how to quickly get over the gate. The first idea that came to mind was to climb. My wrist was healing, but not completely better. I would just have to suck it up. I gripped the gate with both hands and fit my feet into the small, hexagonal holes. I struggled to climb up, and I finally reached the top.

"Shit…"

I forgot about the barbed wire at the top. I braced myself and placed my hand on the top. Pain exploded from the middle of my palm to each of my fingers. I catapulted myself over the fence. My hand had a long, deep gash in it. At least the cut was on the same hand as the one with the broken wrist. I sighed and started my second climb up the second gate. I once again reached the barbed wire. I carefully placed my injured hand carefully on the wire. My hand was getting numb, so the second gash didn't hurt as badly. I launched myself over the gate, and I was over. I had to move quickly if I didn't want to be noticed. I dashed into the woods and headed to the Governor.


	7. I'm Sorry

Hey guys,

I'm so sorry I haven't updated in forever! I have writer's block so bad right now. I'm trying to think of new ideas, but just... nothing. I'm going to try to write something, but in the meantime... I'm sorry and I am just awful.

**~A.C~**


	8. Chapter 7

**Hey, guys!**

**It's a new chapter!**

**And it isn't an author's note!**

**That 's exciting, huh? Anyway, updates on my other stories should be coming soon... I'm getting inspiration from the season 4 trailer. **

**BTW: Who's excited about season 4? The trailer makes it look amazing, so I can't wait until October! :)**

**Anyway, that's enough rambling; here's the new chapter.**

**Eden**

I woke up screaming. It took me a minute to recall where I was. That would be in a musty, dark room tied to a chair. My wrists were stinging from the struggling, and my leg was killing me. Just as it was getting better too. The room flooded with light as the Governor stepped in.

"Hello, girlie."

I ignored him. He violently grabbed my face and pulled me, chair and all, close to his face.

"You answer me when I talk to you," he spat.

He dropped me and I rubbed my jaw where he had handled it so roughly. It's not like I'm not used to it, though.

"Looks like loverboy hasn't come to save you yet," he said menacingly.

"Don't call Carl that," I spat back.

"I don't like that tone, young lady. Do I need to demonstrate what happens to those who address me like that?" he questioned.

"No sir."

"That's better. Now, I'll talk with you in a minute, but for now, wait here."

He exited the room dramatically and locked the door with the combination lock behind him. I felt utterly alone, right then. He was right; Carl hadn't come to save me yet, and if he hadn't made it here yet, he probably never will. Tears threatened to roll down my face, but I couldn't let them. The governor was due back any second, and I couldn't let him see me weak. I was interrupted by a gunshot. I let out a small scream, but quickly silenced myself. The door was kicked open, and light flooded in the dark room. I couldn't believe my eyes. Carl was there, gun in one hand, knife in the other. Both were covered in blood.

"Hey," he breathed.

I stared at him. Part of me thought he was a hallucination. I just wanted to reach up and touch him; see if he was really there. The only thing in my way was rope.

"Where I'm from, when people greet them, they usually reply with things like: 'hello' or 'hi'," he said sarcastically.

He unsheathed his knife and kneeled down to cut the rope. After several painstaking seconds, he finished and rose. I flew up and embraced him. He didn't seem to expect that reaction.

"Thank you," I whispered into his shoulder.

He drew back and looked into my eyes. His face was growing red, and he was grinning broadly.

"How did you…"

"Stealth."

"Ok. Now, how do we get out?"

"Very carefully."

He grabbed me by the hand and led me to the door. The moment he touched me, my face warmed up and my heartbeat sped up to twice its normal speed. I knew he felt it too, because his skin warmed quickly when he touched me. When he reached it, he turned to me and brought a finger to his lips as his fingers wrapped around the handle. He slowly cracked the door open and peeked out of it, not releasing my hand as he did so. After a moment, he opens the door a little more and tugs on my hand.

"Stay close," Carl whispered as he dragged me out of the room.

I nodded and tightened the grip I had on his hand. He drew his knife and edged along the wall carefully. He stopped near the corner and peered around the wall quickly and tugged me along. As we turned the corner, I brought my hand to my mouth to keep myself from screaming. Bodies with stab wounds to the head each littered the floor, all with shocked expressions frozen on their pale faces. I composed myself again and followed closely behind Carl.

"Did you really need to get them in the head?"

Carl turned at my question and had a blank expression on his face.

"Yeah. They come back if you don't"

He turned around again and ran towards the exit. We burst through the door, similar to the first time, except the air was silent and we were considerably slower. It was rather refreshing to not hear gunshots. We made it into the forest, and took a break.

"Carl, my leg is better, but we're still gonna be slowed down," I reminded him.

"I know. I don't mind."

I smiled at him and sat on the forest floor. He joined me and grabbed my hand once again. The familiar fire warmed my face and my heart skipped a beat. I looked up at Carl, whose face had reddened dramatically.

"Thank you for saving me," I said, breaking the silence.

"I'm glad to do it," he replied stiffly.

I smiled at him and he smiled weakly back at me. Inside, I was patting myself on the back. This was the first time he looked at me in the eyes and smiled.

**Finally done. I'm so so so sorry it took so long! I'm really a despicable human being sometimes. Anyway, review, PM, favorite, PLEASE! ****_The more feedback you give, the faster I'll update!_**


	9. Chapter 8

**wow. **

**You probably didn't even believe your eyes when you saw this in your little Alerts menu. This is the first time in forever that I've updated this story, and that is the fault of a few things. **

**a) WRITER'S BLOCK b) School sucks c) I'm just a horrible person and I want to make you suffer.**

**Literally the last time I updated, I was talking about the season 4 trailer and how great it was. **

**Anyway, I've kept you waiting long enough, here is the next chapter!**

**~A.C~**

**Carl**

I blinked my eyes open and stretched my arms. I looked over and found that Eden was still asleep. She seemed peaceful. I smiled and went about, gathering some type of food, at the same time trying not to become it.

I'd been hunting for about a half an hour when I heard a high pitched scream. The first thought that crossed my mind was:

_Eden_

I ran back to our temporary camp and saw that a man lying on the ground next to a standing Eden. She was breathing fast and heavy and I could tell that this man had just tried to attack her.

"What the hell…?" I asked, confused.

"I was sleeping and this tool tries to take me to his precious Governor!"

"Ok, why don't we move on? We can take turns on watch duty when we stop. We aren't far. We'll be ok," I reassured.

She nodded, still obviously distressed. We moved on silently, Eden still shaken up by the sudden attack, and me without anything to say. So we just walked, her arm around my shoulder.

"Carl?"

I was shocked out of my silence by her sudden sound.

"Hmm."

"Why didn't Rick come with you?"

Figured this one would come out soon.

"Uh… technically, I'm not supposed to be here."

Several different emotions crossed her face then; hurt, confusion, anger. Tears brimmed her emerald eyes.

"Why did you come and save me then?"

"They wanted to let you figure it out yourself; they figured that you were a strong girl, so you could figure it out yourself."

"You could've gotten yourself killed!"

"So could you!"

She had gotten over her momentary sadness and she was irritated with me now. She rolled her eyes and scooted as far as she could away from me while I was supporting her. The rest of our journey was silent.

The looming prison eventually came into view when the bright moon was high in the dark sky. I didn't dare wave; I knew I was in some deep shit. I opened the first gate, leaving Eden leaning on the chain fence. I lead her through the first and then open the second. I get her to the prison and open the heavy door quietly as possible. I hear footsteps and a gun.

Well, shit.

**Jo**

So, here I am with the most frustrating human being in the world, sneaking back into our camp. But, not unnoticed unfortunately.

"Show yourself!" I hear Rick call from the interior, approaching us fast.

Carl stepped out into the light, bringing me along with him. I turn my face from Rick, not wanting to see the look of fury on his face. He had to be beyond pissed at his son for leaving without his permission. I would sneak off to the cell if I could walk on my own.

"Son?" Rick asked quietly.

I could feel Carl tense up at hearing his father utter his name.

"Hi, Dad."

"Carl, what the hell was that? You left! Without my consent! It's a good thing you left your little goodbye letter, otherwise, I would've thought you were dead."

"Dad, I…"

"She could've figured it out herself! You made me think that you had accepted that. I trusted you here, by yourself! You left your younger sister unprotected!"

"Beth can…"

"Listen closely…"

"No, Dad. You listen to me," Carl interrupted sternly.

"She couldn't have gotten away by herself. I got her out the last time. Not to mention this time, her leg has a bullet hole in it, and is shattered. I wasn't there this time. I wouldn't let her death be on this group's shoulders. You remember what Mom said. She's important to me and this group."

But, he said…

"You said your mom was dead."

Carl turned to me, realizing that I spoke. The anger that blazed in his sapphire eyes died quickly when he set his eyes on me.

"She is."

Oh god. A psychopath had his hand on my waist. I've trusted my life to this crazy boy. He saw, he _talked, _to his dead mother. Suddenly, my leg didn't matter anymore. I had to get the hell away from him. I pushed myself away from Carl, crashing

**So, how was that chapter? Let me know in the reviews! **

**Beeteedubz: IS EVERYONE EXCITED FOR SEASON 4! OCTOBER 13TH BABY! I promise I will post a couple like, the day before or the day after. I would post it day of, but I don't want to interrupt you (of myself) in watching the premier!**

**~A.C~**


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